Electrical clockwork



May 18 1926 E. BUTTEGAZ ELECTRI CAL CLOCKWORK Filed Sept. 2, 1925' 2;? Mew/far;

Patented May 18 1926.

UNITED STATES EUGENE IBU'JPTICAZ, COBCELLE8,' SWITZERLAND.

ELECTRICAL CLOCKWORK Application fled September 2, 1925. Serial No. 64,045.

The present invention relates to a clockwork especially designed. for motor cars 1ncluding an electro-magnet the armature of which operates directly the hands of the clock.

This clock-work difiers from those hitherto known in that the armature of said magnet keeps oing a regulating device which controls the period of the oscillations of saidarmature.

The armature of this electro-rnagnet preferably cooperates with a lever escapement having at least one pallet stone in order to keep the balance wheel going.

The annexed drawing represents one work- 15 ing example of an electrlc clock-work according to the present invention. Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 thereof are plan views showing differentpositions of the operative parts.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the balance m shaft. An electro-magnet 1 is electrically connected by a wire 2' to one terminal of a source of current and a wire 3 leads to a contact 4 for a purpose explained hereafter.

This electro-magnet has asoft-iron arma-' 2 ture 5 attached to a plate spring 6 held by a sup ort 7 arranged on the plate of the clock. The throwof the armature is limited by banking pins 8 and 9 and a further banking pin 10 is provided on the plate in proximi- 80 ty to the support 7 for the pur ose of 1ncreasing the tension of spring 6 or a given position of the armature. This armature carries a light plate spring 11 having a tooth 12 engaged with the teeth 13 of a ratchet 14. 35 This wheel 14 is rigidly connected with a pinion 15 gearing with a third wheel 16 which moves the hands of the clock by means of a center wheel not shown. A strap 17 fastened by means of ascrew 40 18 to the plate carries the late a stud I9 whi orms the pivot of e pallet 20. of the regulator. This pallet is shaped to have at one end the usual fork 21 adapted to cooperate with a pin 22 fast on a disk 23 while a safety pin fastened to another disk pre- 7 vents disk. 23 from overrunnin The banking pins of the allet are esignated 24 and 25. The pa et is provided at its other end with a single pallet stone 26 shaped so as to cooperate with a tooth 27 at the end of late spring 6 in the same way that the pal et stone of the usual lever arm of an escapment cooperates with the escape wheel. A disk is secured to the axle 28 of the .teeth of ratchet 14 so as to sition is given in Fig. 3. I

(unillustrated) havcpleigiendicularly to balance 29 and is provided with a pin 31 for cooperation with a plate s ring 32. This spring is supported by a stu 33 fixed to the clock plate and said stud has connected to it the other terminal of the electriccircuit wherein the source of current and the-elec- -tro-ma Y et 1 are included.

Anot er plate spring 34 engageswith the prevent any return'movement ofthe same. a

The working of the clock-work representedis as follows: In the'position shown in Fig. 1 the circuit is interrupted and the balance 29 is at rest. After having imparted to this balance an impulse ina clockwise direction pin 31 engages with the plate spring 32 and moves the latter .into contact with the contact 4 at the very moment when the pin 22 is between the prongs of fork 21 whereby the circuit of the electro-magnet is closed. The armature 5 will be attracted and spring 6 be bent and moved until it contacts with banking pin thus turning the ratchet one tooth. This is the position of parts in Fig.2. I

The balance continues to oscillate and pin 22f will swing the pallet fork further to the e t. the fork 21, spring 32 snaps from beneath pin 31 and causes an instantaneous opening of the circuit and a complete release of. the balance. The latter continues its clockwise movement; and since the armature 6 is. released, tooth 27 will strike and bear against the pallet stone 26 in the same way as a tooth of a pallet wheel would act. This po- -The balance spring ing now consumed the impulse received by the balance wheel, the return oscillation of the wheel will begin and introduces pin 22 again between the prongs of the fork in an anti-clockwise. direction so as to return the pallet 20 and to cause tooth 27 to glide over the bevelled face of the pallet stone. This movement of tooth 27 gives to the balance the required newimpulse for its further movement because the tension of spring 6 momentarily increased by pin 10 acts on the balance by means .of fork 21. This position is represented in Fig. 4.

When the pin 31 meets with plate spring 32 durin the said return movement of the balance, t is spring will bebent to the other side and the circuit will not be closed there- At the moment when'pin 22 leaves by. Then the spring 32 will snap ofi' said pin so that when the pallet again bears on pin 24: the parts will have again assumed the position according to Fig; 1, with the difference that the unillustrated spiral spring of the balance is now bent and needs no further impulse, so that it will return the balance and cause the play of the parts to be repeated It must be remarked that none of the parts of this regulator are included in the circuit, and that the power transmitted at each second half-oscillation of the balance is constant owing to the always-uniform bending of spring 6 which is independent of any .variation'of volta e of the source of electricity; also the ba ance, not being connected to the gears of the movement, is

not influenced by any frictional conditions or other changes; Said parts are, therefore, erfectly free to move and are not influenced y resistances, as is ordinarily the case in other clocks. This feature is very important for the regulating facilities of the clock-' work, I

The opening of the circuit by the action of spring 32 and of contact 4 is instantaneou s and the sparking will be reduced to a minimum. But any traces of such sparking could be avoided by inserting a condenser.

The pallet 20 could be provided with a plurality of pallet stones and the armature of the, 'electro-magnet could by suitable means work alternatel on those stones. Then it would be possible by means of a. great number of contacts to give an impulse to the pallet at each swinging of the balance.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric clock, the combination, with a regulator comprising a balance wheel and a pallet; of an electro-magnet provided with an armature; a spring disposed to maintain the armature uplifted; means controlled by the armature through the pallet and the tension of the spring for keeping the balance wheel going; and means dependent on the regulator for maintaining the period of the oscillations of the armature.

2. In an electric clock the combination of an electro-magnet provided with an armature, a balance, a forked pallet for regulating the balance, a pallet-stone at the end of the pallet, and a catch operated by the armature for engagement with the pallet-stone to impart an im ulse to said pallet.

3. In an electric clock, the'c ombination of an electro-magnet provided with an armature; a spring disposed to maintain the armature 1n uplifted osition; a bevelled catch located adjacent the end of said armature and uplifted by the action of the spring; a balance; and a regulator comprising a pallet provided with a stone having a bevelled face which is adapted to be engaged by the uplifted catch in order to rcreeaova 4:. In an electric clock, the combination of I an electro-magnet provided with an arma ture; a balance wheel; a pallet having stone at the end thereof; a catch at the enfd of the armature adapted to engage the pallet stone; a pair of spaced contacts; an electric circuit wherein the two contacts and the magnet are included; and means operated by the balance wheel for bridging said contacts and thereby closing the circuit after every two throws of the pallet.

5. In an electric clock of the kind described, and in combination, an electro-magnet provided with an armature, a balance, a forked pallet, a pallet stone at the end of said pallet, a catch at the end of said armature adapted to engage said pallet stone, a blade spring extended from one terminal of the electric circuit of the electro-magnet, a contact banking pin constituting the other terminal, a disc rigidly connected with the hub of said balance, one pin adapted to engage said blade spring in order to establish contact and to close the circuit of the electroinagnet at the end of two throws of the pallet.

6. An electric clock, according to claim 3, in which the spring is associated directly with the armature, and the catch is provided on the end of the spring.

7. In an electric clock, the combination, with a regulator comprising a balance wheel having a pin associated therewith and a pallet having a fork for coaction with the said pin; of an electro-magnet provided with an armature; a spring disposed to maintain the armature uplifted; means controlled by the armature through the pallet fork and pin and the tension of the spring for keepmg the balance wheel going; and means dependent on the regulator for maintaining the period of the oscillations of the armature.

8. In an electric clock, the combination, with a regulator com rising a balance wheel and a pallet; of an e ectro-magnet provided with an armature; means controlled by the armature through the pallet for keeping the balance wheel going; anormally-open c1rcuit wherein the magnet is included; and means controlled by the balance wheel for periodically closing said circuit.

9. In an electric clock, the combination, with a regulator; of an electro-magnet provided with an armature; a HOI'IIIallX-ORGII electric circuit wherein the magnet is 111- cluded; a spring normally holding the armature uplifted and adapted to be flexed when the circuit is closed; means dependent on said armature and spring for keeping the regulator going; and means dependent on the regulator for periodically closing said circuit.

10. In an electric clock, the combination, armature for keeping the regulator going; with a regulator; of an electro-magnet proand means dependent on the regulator for vided with an armature; a pawl carried by maintaining the period of the oscillations of 10 the armature; a gear engaged by said pawl the armature.

' and rotating the cannon pinion of the clock In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

for transmitting the movements of the armature to said pinion; means controlled by the EUGENE BUTTICAZ. 

